Multiple-unit installation



y 21, 1929- G. w. ALLEN ET AL 1,714,340

MULTIPLE UNIT INSTALLATION Filed Aug. 18, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w V O O i 1 1! M y 1929- G. w. ALLEN ET AL MULTIPLE UNIT INSTALLATION Filed Aug. 18, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet y 1929. G. w. ALLEN ET AL MULTIPLE UNIT INSTALLATION m J z w o n IIM/MW M 0 Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. mm, 01' HYDE PARK, AND OLIVER D. H. BENTLEY, OI NORFOLK, ms-

SAGEUSET'IS, A81GNOB TO B. I. BTUBTEVAIT comm, O1 HYDE SAGHUBETTS, A. NBPOBLTION OI IABSAOEUSETTS.

PARK, m-

HULTIPLI-UNI'I. INSTALLATION.

Application fled August 18, ms. Serial Io. 658,116.

The present invention relates to multiple unit installations and more particularly to installations employing a plurality of connected power units, such as driving and driven units..

The usual method of assembling an installation of this general type is to mount the several units separately upon a suitable base which is bolted or otherwise secured to a previously prepared foundation or bed. In this construction each unit ordinarily has a separate shaft and a separate pair of bearings therefor, the several shafts being connected in the assembly b means of suitable couplings. Notwithstan ing the apparent ri 'dity of the base, the bolting or securing 0 the same to the foundation or bed almost invariably causes a warping or distortion of the base so that the proper alinin of the various units is a matter of considera e difliculty deviation from perfect alinement must be taken up by the couplings, thereby not only throwing undue stresses on the couplings themselves, but also on the bearings as well as causing excessive vibrations in the entire apparatus. Furthermore, in installations where the various units are subjected to unequal strains or unequal degrees of heat expansion in operation, the shafts will tend to move out of alinement even though they may have been perfectly alined when stationary. This is particularly true in the case of a turbo-blower in which the steam turbine and the parts adjacent thereto are caused to undergo considerable expansion because of contact with steam at high temperature, whereas the blower which is normally in contact with cool air undergoes little or no expansion. If the installation is of the usual construction as described above, the turbine shaft will tend to move practically parallel to itself while the blower shaft will not move appreciably.

The object of the present invention is to,

rovide an efiicient and conveniently assembled multiple unit installation. which will always maintain the proper alinement between the several" units and be substantially free from vibration under practically all if not practically impossible. Any

compensate for unequal strains upon the several units so as to maintain the proper aline-' ment at all times. According to the referred form of the invention, the sha is mounted only in a single pair of bearings disposed at the ends of the shaft, the bearings belng designed to permit a slight rocking or tilting movement of the shaft whenever the are subjected to unequal degrees of expansion. I

In the accompanying drawings Fi re 1 is an elevation in section of a two-unit 1118138118 tion embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 1s a section on line 2-2 of Fi 1 showing the blower casing and the metho of sup ortmg the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view 0 the base; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the base; and Figs 5 and 6 are details of the blower support-mg means to be hereinafter referred to. The invention, as illustrated in the drawings, is embodied in a turbo-blower having a turbine adapted to run at high steam tem peratures and a blower normally adapted to run at normal air temperatures.

0 The illustrated embodiment of the invent1on comprises a turbine indicated generally at 10 and the blower indicated generally at 12, both mounted upon a base 14. The turbine bucket wheel 16 and the blower wheel 18 aremounted for rotation upon a single shaft 20 which is journaled for rotation in a bearin 22 at the turbine end and a bearing 24 at the blower end. The shaft is connected with a governor, indicated generally at 26, preferably of the type disclosed in the patent to Bentley No. 1,103,024.

The bearings 22 and 24 are enclosed in suitable cases 28 and 30 which are mounted respectively on pedestals 32 and 34. The bearing cases contain any convenient lubricating system indicated as a ring oiler 36. The middle portions of the outer surfaces of bearings 22 and 24 are made substantially spherical in form to be received within the concave spherical bearing supports 38 and 40 which are enclosed within the cases 28 and 30. It will be seen that this construction, in which there are no intermediate beari s, permits rocking or tilting movements of t e shaft in case of faulty alinement or position ing of the pedestals 32 and 34 or if one of the units is subjected to greater strains or expansions than the other, the bearings 22 and 24 merely turning slightly within the supports 38 and 40 so that the rotatable parts of the units are always maintained in proper alinement. It will be apparent that in the case of the turbo-blower, this tilting movement will come into play soon after starting the turbine. The left hand end of the assembly, including the turbine and adjacent parts,

will start to expand because of the contact of the hot steam therewith, whereas the blower will be kept cool by the passage of air through it, so that the center of the turbine will rise to a higher point than the center of the blower. In prior constructions employing a plurality of shafts with couplings between them, an objectionable mis-alinement would take place, but according to the present invention the shaft is free to rock in its bearings so that its axis may move or tilt slightly from its normal position when the parts are cold. The proper alinement between the rotatable. parts is thereby automatically maintained without strain on either shaft or bearings. The tilting movement of the shaft is of course quite small even under widely varying conditions and will ordinarily be insufficient to diminish the clearances between the stationary and movable parts of the unit to any appreciable extent. I

The preferred form of the base 14 is constructed of channel irons of such size as to accommodate the various units. The base illustrated in Fig. 3 is rectangular in shape having channel irons 50 for the sides and channel irons 52 for the ends, an additional channel 54 being. provided intermediate to the ends for bracing. The various channel irons are held together by angles 56 which are riveted to the channels at the various corners. The base supports at its left hand end the auxiliary turbine base 58 and at its right hand end the blower bearing pedestal 34, the parts being secured to the base by bolts 59, the heads of which are held from turning by the clips 60. The auxiliar base 58 supports the turbine 10 and turbine bearing pedestal 32.,

The blower casing is supported at its bottom between the auxiliary base 58 and the bearing pedestal 34 by means of brackets 61 and 62. The bracket 61 is providedwith vertical faces 6 and 66, the former adapted to be bolted to one side of the auxiliary base 58 and the latter adapted to be bolted to the blower casing. The bracket 62 is provided with similar faces 68 and 70 for attachment to the pedestal 34 and the blower casing, respectively. The blower casing is connected at its upper end tothe turbine casing through a rod or pipe 72 which threads into plates 74 and 76, the former being bolted to the turbine casing and the latter to the blower casing.

In order to provide for angular adjustment of the discharge nozzle 13 of the blower, the blower casin is provided with a regular series of radia y disposed pairs of tapped holes '78 formed in concentrically arranged faced projections 79 and 80. The plates 66, 70 and 76 are each provided with four bolt holes adapted to register with any two successive pairs of the tapped holes 78, and are connected to the blower casing by bolts 82, as indicated in Fig. 2. If it becomes desirable to shift the blower and turbine angularly with respect to one another, the three plates may be readily unbolted and the blower casin swung through the desired angle and t e plates thereafter bolted on the casing a ain., In the illustrated embodiment of the invention employing eight pairs of holes in the blower casing, it is obvious that the blower discharge may be shifted through steps of 45 de rees.

As stated previously, it is desira le that the units be secured to the base at the place of manufacture Where the necessary tests and adjustments may be more conveniently made than at the place of installation. After shipping to the desired place, the base may be set in poured concrete while the units are still connected thereto. The complete assembly is sufficiently rigid to withstand the shipping and setting operations without appreciable distortion. After the base has been set, if it becomes necessary to remove the parts from the base, this may be done merely by removing the nuts from bolts 59. It will be observed that the blower casing is mounted between the auxiliary base 58 and the pedestal 34 independently of the main base 14 so that all the parts above the base may be removed as one unit. Since the base was previously set with all the parts in correct operating position, the parts may be safely remounted upon the base with the assurance that they will all assume the same positions as before so that the alinement and true running qualities will not have changed. Furthermore, if any slight warps or twists should be imparted to the assembly by excessive shock or careless handling at'any time, the movin parts will come into correct alinement by vlrtue of the provision for allowin the rocking or tiltin movement of the sha t within the spherica bearing sup orts.

Havmg escribed the invention what is claimed 1s:

1. A multiple unit installation comprising a main base, an auxiliary base secured to one end of the main base, a driving unit and a bearing pedestal mounted onthe auxiliary base, a second bearing pedestal secured at the other end of the main base, and a driven unit supported between the auxiliary base and the second bearing pedestal independently of the main base.

2. A multiple unit installation comprising a main base, a bearing pedestal mounted on one end of the main base, an auxiliary base mounted upon the other end of the main base, a second bearing pedestal secured to the auxiliary base, driving and driven units between the pedestals, the driving unit. b ing mounted upon the auxiliary base, a single shaft for the rotating parts of the units, and a single pair of spherically mounted bearings in the pedestals for the shaft.

3. A multiple unit installation comprising a main base, pedestal supports at opposite ends of the base, a turbine comprising a stator and a rotor and a blower comprising a casing and a rotor between the pedestal supports,

means for mounting the stator adjacent one 10 of spherically mounted bearings in the pedes 15 tal supports for the shaft.

GEORGE W. ALLEN. OLIVER D. H. BENTLEY. 

